Lessons
by Evil Nazgul
Summary: Alright, my attempt to redeem myself for that horrible Mary Sue fic I wrote for TLA. This one consists of episodes from lives of original characters after the war.
1. The needs of many

Lessons.

Chapter 1 – The needs of many outweigh the needs of few.

This is another attempt of writing an Avatar TLA fanfic. In first one I disgraced myself with writing a Mary Sue, and … let's just say I learned my lesson. In this one there would be none of it, all characters will be canonical. Alright, here goes nothing.

… Aang and his flying bison were making their way above the steepest of mountains in the country of Fire Nation. The flight was long, and Appa was tired, mostly because he had to carry a big load of crates with supplies on his back.

The 100-year war was over, but there was still much to be done. Ozai left the country in poverty, its treasury empty. Because of the treaty new Firelord Zuko had signed, most of the troops were demobilized, and returned home, only to find that no one really wanted them there. Those who spent half of their lives in the army, and were taught only to fight and to follow orders, were out of place during times of peace. They were not able to find any decent work, because of the economical crisis that struck the land…

Aang was supposed to deliver the goods to a very distant village away from the rest of the main cities. It was a fishermen village, but all the big cargo ships were occupied, and sending one for a settlement with so few inhabitants was not worthwhile, and the road through the mountain path was too long and dangerous.

- There it is, Appa! – Aang exclaimed as he finally saw something resembling a landing pad, surrounded by signal fires. There were some people below, although he wasn't able to see them clearly, because of the heights. He made a sign for Appa to go down, and, with a growl, the bison complied, landing on the designated clearing…

… The boy noticed that the people below were mostly children and elderly men, yet they were here to do a certain job, obviously. For some reason, they acted … strange. Aang kept staring at them, but they avoided eye contact, not wanting to say or do anything. "What's up with them?" – Aang thought, but did not voice his question, because one of the elders, wearing robes of a Fire Nation official, approached him.

- You are at the village of Alatao now, Avatar. I see you have brought supplies promised by the Firelord Zuko. That is good, we were in need of those for some time now… - the village elder said dryly and gave his people an order to unload the cargo.

- What, not even a greeting? – Aang muttered as he watched them picking up heavy crates and boxes, carrying them down to the narrow trail back to the village. It was obvious that carrying out the task was hard – the children were not yet as strong as normal adults, while the elderly were not as strong as they used to be when they were younger.

- Hey, let me help you out! – the boy called as he used his airbending to lift a few crates and the wind currents under his control gently carried the heavy things down the trail, where there were a few more villagers to receive them. For some reason, his actions didn't impress the people who were carrying the rest of the cargo. "What's wrong with them?" – Aang asked himself as he lifted another box and sent it flying down the trail. With the Avatar's help, all of the cargo was transported much quicker, and in half of an hour, the bison was relieved of all the heavy boxes.

- Good. Good. Follow me then. You have to put a signature that we have received everything, and fill some documents… - the village elder said coldly and gave the boy a sign to follow him. Aang didn't like him too much, neither had he liked the rest of the village folk. Unlike just about anybody he met, these people were completely ignoring him, and he could have sworn he heard curses from some of them…

As the boy followed the official through the village to the town hall, he noticed in what misery the village was in. Many building were neglected, roofs had holes in them, and several fishing boats were rotting at the docks, which haven't seen repair for quite a long time. The place didn't have enough hands to do all these things.

The Avatar noticed several women and children fixing something, but the strange thing was that he didn't see any men around, and by men he meant young men, those who could be carrying out the hard jobs, to which the elderly and the children were not suited for.

- Excuse me … sir? – he said as he pulled the official by the long sleeve, trying to get his attention. These actions managed to snap him from the kind of a moving trance he was in, as he shook his head in a bit of confusion.

- Yes, what is it? – the elder asked sourly. Hearing the intonation, Aang started to doubt if it was actually a good idea to ask.

- Forgive me for prying, but … what exactly happened here? Since I came here, I never saw as much as a single guard around… - Aang avoided to ask the question directly, but the elder understood what he wanted to say. The next moment he laughed sourly, attracting the attention of the villagers who were busy trying to undo the misery their village was in.

- When we get to the town hall… - he said, and walked faster, with Aang barely able to keep up with him. "What did he mean by that? I hate secrets…" – the Avatar thought on their way to the tall building in the center of the settlement…

… The "town hall" as the village elder named it, was not exactly such. It doubled as a town hall, sure, but it was not the task it was made for in the first place. Aang noticed that this was the only building in the entire village that was upheld in a proper state. It looked like a school of some sort, judging by the size, but the naval symbols on the gates and the columns suggested it was not a public school of any kind.

- What is this place? – Aang asked with amazement. He had a hunch, but he wanted to be sure.

- Naval academy … it was. Now it's our town hall. After you. – the elder said as the gates were opened, and the two went inside.

There were not too many people inside. Aside from the gatekeeper, and a couple of clerks, the place was empty. But even so, even the unused rooms were held in a remarkably well shape. It looked like all the students have suddenly left for a vacation.

The Avatar followed the official through a maze of corridors to what looked like his office, judging by the amount of papers present in the opened closets and on the table. Inside, there was a bunch of kids busy writing stuff on parchments. They were very concentrated on their work, and didn't notice the avatar and the elder coming in. Or maybe they didn't want to.

- Now, you have to sign here, here, and here, and fill this form. Isn't it too difficult for you? – the village elder was obviously not very nice to the Avatar, or at least didn't show him any respect.

- Fine, fine… - Aang muttered as he put the signatures where they were supposed to be and started filling out the form. – Maybe you will explain why everyone in the village acts like a jerk while I'm doing it? It's not like I did anything bad to them I just brought provisions, that's all… – he asked a bit teasingly, but his smile disappeared upon looking on the elder's face, which looked like as if it was made out of stone.

- You're the reason this village suffers. – the elder hissed with hatred he was hiding so far. Aang swallowed as he saw fire burning in his eyes.

- … Excuse me? – he managed to mutter as he backed away. But the official was able to gain control of himself, and suffocated the anger.

- The academy you are currently in was once filled with students, who wished to become navy officers. The village didn't do much in terms of sustaining itself, because of the money they sent to their families. All those young men were participating in a campaign against the Water tribe citadel on the North Pole. You sunk that fleet. They all died. – the elder relied hollowly. Aang's eyes widened, but he regained a determined look soon enough.

- I am sorry for your loss. But I did what I must. Or many more would have died. – he replied coldly.

- We don't care. We would have tried to kill you, but we know we wouldn't stand a chance against someone who defeated Ozai and sunk an entire fleet by himself. Have you finished the form? – the elder asked emotionlessly.

- Yes… - Aang replied dimly.

- Good. Now leave. And I hope we will never meet again. – the official said without trying to hide his hate. As Aang looked upon his table again, he noticed a picture in a small frame. A young man, full-clad in uniform, which looked like the official so very much. "His son…" – Aang thought as he looked upon the elder again. His eyes were at the picture as well.

- I'm sorry… - the Avatar muttered again.

- Leave… - a growl came in response…

… The Avatar left the depressing village soon. He wanted to get as far away from it as possible. He knew he did the right thing back then, at the fortress, but doing right never felt so wrong before. It was the reason why he hated to be the Avatar in the first place. It was because during all of his lifetime he had to follow one single rule:

- The needs of many … outweigh the needs offew…


	2. Be careful what you wish for

Lessons.

Chapter 2 – Be careful what you wish for…

… After the war the relations between the Fire Nation and other countries were improving, slowly. As a step forward in integrating into one peaceful world again, the Earth kingdom proposed of having a united postal system, so that people separated by distances and living in separate states could become closer that way.

The idea was approved by all, and soon messenger hawk posts began appearing across the world, courtesy of the Fire Nation's experience of using the birds in their military as means of communication. For now, they were the fastest way of transporting news from one point of the world to another.

One such post appeared even on Kyoshi island, which remained separated from the others by the ocean for so very long. They didn't receive much mail anyway, aside from instructions coming directly from officials on the continent, because none really had any acquaintances across the border…

The tendency had to change someday, as one sunny morning a messenger hawk came, with a letter sealed with a Fire Nation emblem. There was only one person in the entire village who could have received a letter from there…

- Ty Lee! Ty Lee! A letter for Ty Lee! – a cheerful young girl, who happened to be the runner for the mail post, strolled across the village, shouting. She was running towards the place where Kyoshi warriors were usually training, because that was where Ty Lee always stayed.

She was quite happy leaving on the island though. She was surrounded by friends, who ignored the fact that she was, in fact, from the Fire Nation, that remained their enemies for so very long. Everybody respected her for the mastery of her fighting technique, and for amazing acrobatics no one was able to perform.

She was adored by the kids too, willing to spend much time with them, entertaining them, and often talking her Kyoshi friends into throwing full-scale circus performances for the villagers. She was like a beacon of light, always happy and cheerful, always the first to start something that would be fun for everybody, and was highly appraised for that.

The little girl found Ty Lee on a break from their training, telling a joke to Suki. Those two became close friends over time, Suki held Ty Lee in great esteem for her fighting skills and willingness to forget historical animosity between their people. Indeed, it was very hard to guess she was of the Fire Nation, she broke the stereotype with her sunny and cheerful personality.

- A letter for Ty Lee! – the girl ran inside, shaking the letter in her hand.

- Really? For me? From whom could it be? – Ty Lee asked curiously as she took the letter. But as soon as she did, her smile turned into a frown.

- What's the matter? Who is it from? – Suki asked with concern. There were quite a few things that could get Ty Lee upset, so the sudden change of mood was alarming.

- Parents… - she grumped as she opened the envelope. Suki saw the seal in a form of a Fire Nation emblem. That emblem always gave her the creeps – she remembered the day Zuko invaded her village, and burned it, causing great damage. She remembered the battle too, and ever since the words "Fire Nation" were associated with hate and raw power.

- Might as well see what they want… - Ty Lee added sourly, as she read the letter. She recognized her father's handwriting. That was quite unusual, because if she received any letters from them before, they were written by her mother.

"_Dear Ty Lee,_

_We haven't heard of you for quite some time now, knowing that you decided to live among Kyoshi warriors on their island. We respect your decision, but your mother and I would like to see you soon. In the envelope you will find money for a ticket from your place to the archipelago. Please come, it is very important."_

The girl finished reading. The writing style indeed belonged to her father. He was a stern, strict and straightforward man, and letters he wrote by himself were rarely long, and he showed little to no emotions in his writings, that's why it was always her mother who wrote letters for him, otherwise he would have made lots of enemies by replying to them what he really thinks about them.

She looked in the envelope again, and found quite a big amount of money inside. It would have been quite heavy for the messenger hawk to carry all that across the sea. Must have been a strong bird. The money was enough to pay for a luxury class on the best of Fire Nation ships.

- Don't you wish to see your family again? – Suki asked in amazement. She didn't know the whole story, Ty Lee rarely spoke about her family.

- Let's say I'm not looking forward to see all those clones of mine again. Reminds me of the life I escaped when I joined the circus… - Ty Lee flinched when she said that.

- Err… clones? – Suki was confused.

- Yes. Six of them. My sisters. They look exactly like me, sound like me and we were dressed equally. It came to the point our parents were confused as to who is who. I don't blame my parents though, they tried their best to give each of us equal amount of attention, but it was not enough for me. Not one bit. I'm not looking forward to seeing my sisters again… - Ty Lee replied as she clenched her fists. Suki noticed that.

- You know, you could stay, if you don't want to go. – she proposed.

- No, father said it was important. And if he says it's important – that means it's really important. – Ty Lee rejected the proposal.

- I could go with you, if you want… You know, to keep you company. – Suki proposed again, and after her words a sunshine smile appeared on Ty Lee's face once more.

_- _You will? Thank you so much! – she exclaimed cheerfully as she hugged Suki so tightly she wasn't able to breathe.

- You're … crushing … me… - she gasped and Ty Lee released her grip.

- Sorry. Let's go pack up our things, we're leaving as soon as we can! – she exclaimed and the two went to their places to gather their belongings for the trip that lied ahead…

… The money Ty Lee's parents send her to cover her trip was enough to buy two ticked for the boat that was going to the archipelago. Of course, it was of a lower class, but Ty Lee didn't mind. She hated the luxury, because it was full of snobbish rich people who would do nothing but brag about their boring lives and so on and so on.

When they arrived to the big city port, it was raining outside. The walls, cowered by water, looked grey, dull and depressing. The people outside were cursing the rain for ruining the day, and only Ty Lee was like a ray of sunshine in that grey city.

She noticed that the address on the envelope she received differed from the one she remembered before leaving. "Maybe they moved to a new house or something…" a sudden realization came. "I should have stayed…" – she thought as they were going across the street. Ty Lee knew her hometown well enough, and knew where their new house would be, and even how it looked like.

As they approached the mansion, Suki whistled, and said:

- Wow, that's a big house. Even our town hall isn't as big as this… – she was clearly fascinated.

- It gets boring very soon. I wouldn't change your village for any house, no matter how big or beautiful it would be… - Ty Lee replied as she knocked at the door. Soon, some noises were heard, and a weak feminine voice came from the other side of the door.

- Who … who is there?

- It's me, Ty Lee! Mom, is that you? – the girl asked, not being so sure. Soon, the door opened, and in the shadow they saw a woman. Ty Lee barely recognized her mother, she was so very pale, and with huge circles under her eyes. She looked upon the two girls, her eyes were barely holding back the tears.

- Mom … are you alright? You look terribly sick… - Ty Lee muttered. Her mother didn't reply anything, and just burst into tears again, and walked away. Before Ty Lee could say or do anything, her father appeared from the next room. He was very pale as well.

- I knew you would come. Please, come inside… - he said dimly and gave a jest to come in. Silently, the girls followed.

The house was strange. It was quiet, too quiet, as if everything just went dead. The only sounds were the creaking of the wooden floor, and the weak sound of her mother crying in the far room.

- Father! What's wrong? What happened? And where are my sisters? – Ty Lee asked, as she suddenly realized why it was so quiet. She didn't hear her sisters' cheerful voices, because they usually were the source of commotion in the house.

- That is why I called you here. Three weeks ago, somebody put our old house on fire… I don't know who, but the fires started from different directions. Me and your mother weren't there, when the house burned to a crisp in a matter of minutes … but your sisters were… - her father replied and silenced. For a few moments the silence was held, with only the cries of her mother in the background.

- No… - Ty Lee managed to say, as she felt she was going to faint any moment now.

- Their … funeral would be held in two days… That's why I wanted you to come, as our only remaining child… To say farewell to them… - the man said and wiped his eyes with a sleeve of his shirt.

- Only child… - Ty Lee muttered as she lost touch with her feet, and she would have felt to the ground, if Suki weren't there to catch her.

- Help me out. Her … new room is upstairs… - her father said, as they both pulled the fainted girl up the stairs…

The days before and after the funeral Ty Lee spent locked in her room. She refused to eat or drink anything, and was just lying on her bed, her tears soaking in the pillow, and muttering the words:

- Only child … only child … only… child…


	3. Recklessness

Lessons.

Chapter 3 – Recklessness.

… It has been a while since the great battle with the Phoenix king Ozai, and the appointment of prince Zuko as the new Firelord, and Toph was on her way home. The avatar offered her a much quicker ride, but she refused, wanting to have the ground under her feet. She trusted Appa and Aang, of course, but she hated flying, it was making her feel helpless. She was appointed a general for her valor in battles against the Fire Nation, and she wanted to go home and tell her parents the news, she wanted to show them that she is not helpless, and capable of great things. The gang understood her wish, and didn't hold her back, because she promised she would return.

She traveled from one city to another, noticing the changes they were undergoing. There was reconstruction everywhere. Many Fire Nation soldiers, who were demobilized, helped out in rebuilding what was destroyed and fixing what was damaged. Although people were wary of them, extra hands were always helpful.

As she went down a big street, she slowly became dazed by the number of sounds coming from everywhere. People walking, carts going, noises, shouts, all these were making her slowly losing touch as to where she actually was going. In such a state, she didn't notice bumping into someone who passed in front of her. A sound of something falling and a moan of pain were heard.

- Ouch, my ached back… - she heard a voice from below. She focused her attention, only to find out she knocked down a person, who was in a wheeled chair.

- Oh my, I'm terribly sorry… Here, let me help you… - she said genuinely, as she helped the poor soul back in his chair. It was not an old man, the voice sounded like he was mid - thirties, but what was amazing, and frightening at the same time, that he had no legs.

- It's alright. Get knocked like that every time. Can't see too well. – he replied. The man's voice echoed in Toph's head. "He couldn't have even developed technique I use to "see". Poor guy…" – she thought with pity.

- Where were you going? Maybe I can help you get there… - she proposed.

- Such a nice young lady… It's not too far, just a couple of blocks away. I'll show you where to go. Thank you… - the man replied as Toph rolled the wheeled chair forward, down the road.

She figured the guy to be a former soldier of some kind. Because the voice had a certain air of authority about it, and besides, that was the only reason she could think of as to how a relatively young man could get crippled like that.

- So… you were a soldier, right? – Toph asked the crippled guy in the wheelchair as they were going.

- Yes. And a good one too. Served for ten years on the front lines, fought in the guerilla against the matchsticks, and not a single serious wound. And after that … eh… - he sighed with disappointment,

- What happened then? – Toph asked in amazement. She held respect for the soldiers, especially those wounded or lost in service.

- It seems someone from above heard of my exploits. And recommended me for becoming a elite guard for the Earth King, and serve in Ba - Sing - Se. Thought it to be my lucky day, since in there "there is no war". Because over a dozen times I almost got killed out there in the heat of battle, and didn't wish to test my luck further… Damn if I only knew what would happen, I would have stayed on the front lines… - he said bitterly. Toph raised her eyebrow. What could have possibly happened? An accident?

- What happened? – she asked curiously. The soldier sighed.

- Avatar happened, that's what. He and that earthbending friend of his, don't remember her name. They broke into the palace. When they breached the gates, we were called upon to … you know, stop them. We didn't know it was the Avatar and all. When they charged the giant ladder, my squad was the one to try and stop them. The giant boulder the earthbender tossed knocked me off the stairway, and I fell to the ground. Was lucky I didn't break my neck, but the violent hit on the nape rendered me blind quite completely. And the boulder that came down shortly smashed my legs quite completely. "Krak", and I lost consciousness. – he made a sound of a snapping bone that made Toph shiver.

- When I woke up, I noticed I became shorter … he - he. If only I could get my hands on that girl I would … Never mind. That would be impossible anyway, right? – he asked with a sad intonation. Toph was glad he'd never know who the person that just got him home was. She never bothered noticing what would happen to the people she fought, and this sudden encounter was … disturbing.

- So now I'm just a useless person. My son supports me, but he is so very young, and those bastards from the bureau give us veterans a disgraceful pension. Too bad the matchsticks never got them in the first place… the bastards… - the old soldier cursed. "Talking about a truly helpless person…" – Toph thought on the way. She really felt sorry for what had transpired. She didn't even remember how she tossed that boulder. She hit so many of them back then. How many of them were crippled, how many of them were… "No, I won't think about that…" she forced herself to think about something else, anything really, until they reached his home.

Although she wasn't able to see it, it was a very, very poor hut. The door was opened, and inside there was a boy, about her age. He was making clay pots to earn for a living for him, and his father. As he noticed him coming he put away the clay pot he was working on, and approached the door.

- Thank you so very much for bringing him here… I was beginning to worry… - he said politely and bowed in a sign of gratitude.

- It was nothing, really… Good bye! - Toph replied and left. "Yeah … nothing at all." – she thought as she quickly walked away from the place, the weight of guilt that suddenly befell on her shoulders was unbearable. "There must be something I could do… But what?" – she asked herself as she was walking away. She would have left them some money, but she didn't take that much to support her on her journey.

Suddenly, as she remembered all the things the soldier told her, an idea struck her. Sure, she didn't have much money on her, but her family sign and the name of Bei Fong was well-known anywhere in the kingdom. With that in mind, she went towards the town hall…

… After naming who she was, the guards quickly let her inside the building. There were many clerks and officials going back and forth with their papers and all, but they didn't confuse Toph any more, she knew where she was going, after asking for some directions. After finding the right door, she opened it forcefully.

- On what authority! – the official inside managed to shout before shackles made out of stone appeared on his legs and arms. Toph learned the technique from fighting Dai Li.

- You're the one in charge of assigning the payments to people who were hurt in the line of duty? – Toph asked angrily.

- Y… yes… I will do whatever you say … just don't hurt… - the official replied with fear in his voice, as he looked upon the boulder floating over his head.

- I give you a choice. Either you start doing what you're supposed to do, that means improving the life of those who fought defending such a scum as you are, or you join the ranks of the handicapped immediately… - she threatened, aiming the boulder for the legs. – What do you say? – she asked.

- I … I … I … I … I will do everything I can … P … promise. – he muttered.

- I thought so. – she nodded and lowered the boulder. The official sighed in relief.

- Who's in charge of this operation across the state? – she asked him.

- Ming Dao… His ministry is in Ba – Sing – Se… - the official replied with a bit of fear remaining in his voice.

- Guess parents will have to wait. There are things I still have to do… - Toph muttered to herself as she left.

"Feeling remorse is not enough… I have to do something to … fix things, at least to a degree. It will make me feel better … I think." She thought as she sat in the wagon that was going for Ba-Sing-Se…


	4. The one thing you should have learned…

Lessons.

Chapter 4 – The one thing you should have learned…

… - Greetings, General Iroh. Um … do you have an appointment?

- Do I need one?

- Uh, yes, general. Strict orders of Firelord Zuko himself.

- I know, just was testing you. Yes, I have an appointment.

- Very well, you're clear to enter. Do you need an escort with you?

- No, I can handle myself. – the conversation ended and the heavy steel door finally opened, letting the elderly general inside the facility. Iroh didn't hold any grudge against an overly cautious guard outside, because there were reasons for such high measures of security – the facility held against three attempts of breaching just in the beginning of the year.

He didn't like the place though. Devoid of any sunlight, it was dark, and cold. Sounds of terrible, hellish screams were often heard, echoing in the surroundings, and the wind blew through the corridors with ghoulish howl. No, it was not a torture facility, not officially at least. It was a mental clinic of maximum security. Build and reinforced in a way only the prison of Boiling Rock can compete with.

As he passed the doors, which were sealed in a way no human was able to penetrate them, he started hearing screams and words. He got used to them during the times he visited the place. These screams actually were helping him find the way in that maze of catacombs. Passing around the corner, he accidentally bumped into one of the caregivers – an old lady with a heart of gold and nerves of steel.

- How is she? – Iroh asked with concern.

- Well, ever since your last arrival she stopped spewing fire. That was quite a relief. Now she just mutters about everybody betraying her… - the caregiver replied. – Should I show you the way? – she asked.

- I remember it. – Iroh replied as he passed her and made his way to the end of the corridor.

His mind invoked many images from the past every time he was here. That was because everything he saw now was only the result of wrong actions in the past. And he tried to sort out which were wrong, which lead to such a catastrophic breakdown…

… Iroh watched the three girls playing in the yard, with concern. Hey could have looked perfectly innocent to a bystander who didn't know them, but to Iroh, who watched them every day since he returned from his unsuccessful siege of Ba-Sing-Se, everything was much clearer.

He noticed one of them to be more violent and disrespectful to others. She bossed them around, making them do what she want, and showing them a fist for any kind of disobedience. There she went knocking the other on the ground for making a better cartwheel, there she went throwing stones at harmless turtle ducks, or playing mean jokes on a more timid of the bunch, or…

"Children are cruel…" he thought as he watched. Perhaps it was in the genes, or in the education, but from where did such cruelty come? And at such a young age too. Having enough, Iroh stood up from his chair and called loudly:

- Azula! Come here, I would like to have a word with you.

Ever since he had returned home, Iroh noticed his niece was holding somewhat of a grudge against him. She stopped taking his words seriously, at all. In a way, she viewed him as a disgrace. But still, the general wanted to help out, because Ozai was too busy to pay attention for his children, and Ursa was preoccupied with Zuko, whom Ozai was ignoring quite completely.

- Yes, what do you want, Uncle. – she empathized the last word, making it sound like something mocking. The girl never watched her mouth or showed any respect, because she knew Iroh wouldn't dare punishing her. And, frankly, he didn't believe it will do any good anyway.

- Azula, why are you not being nice with your friends? – Iroh asked mildly. Azula frowned when she heard the question.

- Because… - she didn't finish.

- Because why? – Iroh still insisted.

- They will no doubt avoid me if they won't know what will be coming for them if they don't come along… - Azula replied after much hesitation, and crossed her arms on her chest.

- You know, you don't make friends through fear. They are going to disobey you sooner or later, and you will have to live with that… - Iroh said in a lecturing tone. Azula's face remained thoughtful for a few seconds, as she considered his words, before a smirk of contempt appeared on her face.

- Nonsense, uncle. If you let things slide, someone would eventually pray on your weakness, while if everyone fears you enough, they will never dare of rising against you. As an heir to the throne, you should know that. – Azula replied gleefully, as she returned back to bossing her two friends around.

- I sincerely hope you are right… For your sake… - he sighed out, and left the pavilion…

… Time told who was right in that argument that happened so long ago. And Iroh wasn't happy about it not one bit. He was a kind man, and a fate of a 14-year old girl horrified him. For some reason, he felt that it was partially his fault too. He was able to protect Zuko from his father's influence, but failed to do so in case with his sibling.

The screams were getting clearer as he got closer to the end of the corridor. At some point he was even able to figure out the words. At first they sounded like gibberish, mixed with something incomprehensible, but, in the end, he understood what they were:

- They betrayed me… Everyone… everyone! Curse you … curse you all…

Iroh saw two guards standing at the door from which the screams were heard. "Poor guys, hearing that day after day after day… I wonder how didn't they go loony from all the screeches and moans of pain and anguish…" - Iroh thought as he approached them. The guards silently opened the door and let the general in. He looked at their faces once more before he went in. They were covered by face-plates, and the black holes for the eyes showed nothing. He shivered. "Whoever invented those masks, sure knew what he was doing…" – Iroh noted, knowing they were made for psychological warfare. Showing no fear, no emotion, and no mercy.

The door closed behind him with a clank. The room was rather big, and dark. The lights from the torches were not enough, and there no windows, because of the security measures. In the dim light he saw the cage, hung to the ceiling. Inside, there was a very pale girl, her arms in chains, strapped to half-sitting half-standing position. In such a way it was hard for her to harm herself.

- They have betrayed me… They have betrayed me… - Azula kept muttering. Tears didn't stroll from her eyes - there were none left, but from the tone in her voice it was obvious she was hysterical.

- You cannot make friends through fear … let alone controlling them, Azula… - Iroh sighed, as he stood in front of that cage. He was not afraid of her attacking him – it was impossible from her position, and considering the state she was in. His voice managed to calm the girl down a little.

- I can't… I can't… I understand… - she hissed out.

- If only you understood that earlier… All of this would have been avoided. I talked to the doctors the last time I was here. They say if you will show improvement, they will transfer you from this … horrible place somewhere nicer. – Iroh said kindly.

- They will? I … I will improve… I promise…


End file.
